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October 29, 2008

PUR Water Filtration Systems Can Remove Pharmaceuticals Identified in U.S. Tap Water – More Than 99 Percent for PUR Faucet Filters and More Than 96 Percent for PUR Pitchers*

by Sam Savage

CINCINNATI, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- P&G announced today that its PUR Water Filtration Systems (PUR) can remove more than 99 percent of pharmaceutical compounds from America's tap water using the PUR faucet filters and more than 96 percent with PUR pitchers.* According to a 2008 investigation by the Associated Press (AP), trace levels of a variety of pharmaceuticals -- including antibiotics, mood stabilizers and sex hormones -- have been identified in the drinking water supplies of at least 46 million people in the United States.

"As a leader in the water filtration category, PUR wanted to respond quickly to consumer concerns regarding pharmaceuticals in drinking water," said Daniel Hill, PUR Senior Scientist, P&G Research & Development. "We're committed to providing the cleanest drinking water possible, which is why we are thrilled to report that PUR is effective at reducing pharmaceuticals from tap water*, in addition to the long list of contaminants that PUR already reduces -- including 98 percent of lead and 99.9 percent of microbial cysts."

The new research shows that PUR faucet mounts and pitcher filters effectively reduce five different categories of medication, including:

-- Hormones: prednisone, prednisolone, progesterone, testosterone and cortisol -- Antibiotics: ciprofloxacin, used to prevent certain infections caused by bacteria, as well as sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim, which are used to treat a wide variety of bacterial infections including pneumonia, and urinary tract and intestinal infections -- Antidepressants: fluoxetine, prescribed to treat a variety of conditions, including depression and other mental/mood disorders -- Anti-anxiety medication: meprobamate, a treatment used to relieve nervousness or tension that exceeds stress of everyday life -- Painkillers: ibuprofen and naproxen

The new filtration data from PUR is particularly timely as many Americans are re-discovering tap water in an effort to offset the environmental impact and high cost of bottled water. While these intentions are good, a new survey from Procter & Gamble found that the majority of Americans are unaware that a wide range of pharmaceutical drugs have recently been detected in the tap water of certain cities across the country. Of this group, 94 percent say they would be "concerned" to learn that their tap water contained pharmaceuticals.

To date, scientists have found no evidence of adverse health effects by consumers exposed to trace amounts of pharmaceuticals in the water supply. "Naturally one would opt to have drinking water without pharmaceuticals in it," said Dr. Peter P. Rogers, Senior Advisor to Global Water Partnership, and professor of Environmental Engineering at Harvard University. "It is now confirmed that there is a point of use home filtration system that can reduce certain of these compounds as a safeguard before it becomes a potential issue."

Thought Leaders Gather to Discuss Water Issues

PUR's new filtration data was unveiled today at the "Giving Water a Voice" event in New York City. PUR joined the media with several leading water experts to discuss the various issues surrounding water both in the U.S. and globally. These experts included:

"The goal of this event was to address several of the main issues surrounding water, including pharmaceuticals, while proposing practical solutions," said Bruce Lux, Brand Manager PUR North America. "Lately, we've been hearing a lot about water when it comes to environmental issues. While that remains extremely important to us, we know that other areas deserve attention as we strive to provide the highest quality of water to the public."

About PUR

In addition to filtering pharmaceuticals, PUR filters remove 99.9 percent of microbial cysts such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium, which can lead to intestinal illness. PUR filters also reduce other kinds of contaminants in the water, while leaving fluoride, which is essential for developing and maintaining healthy teeth in children and adults, giving it the American Dental Association (ADA) Seal of Approval. Moreover, PUR Flavor OptionsTM is the only brand that offers flavored filtered water at a push of a button. PUR offers options for faucet mounts, pitchers and refrigerators. PUR is certified by NSF International and the Water Quality Association (WQA) and is tested by other third-party laboratories.(1)

About Procter & Gamble

Three billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including PUR(R), Pampers(R), Tide(R), Ariel(R), Always(R), Whisper(R), Pantene(R), Mach3(R), Bounty(R), Dawn(R), Gain(R), Pringles(R), Folgers(R), Charmin(R), Downy(R), Lenor(R), Iams(R), Crest(R), Oral-B(R), Actonel(R), Duracell(R), Olay(R), Head & Shoulders(R), Wella(R), Gillette(R) and Braun(R). The P&G community consists of 138,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

* Pharmaceutical filtration claims are based on manufacturer testing of PUR faucet mounts and pitchers for reduction in levels of 12 pharmaceuticals, which may not be present in all users' water.

(1) Pharmaceutical reduction claims are based on manufacturer testing and are not currently subject to NSF or WQA certification.